What's Going On

Prison is supposed to be about reform but it goes without saying that many prisons are about warehousing and profiting off the criminals within the confinement of the four walls.

CCA (Corrections Corporations of America) is perhaps the largest privately owned prison system in America. When you think of CCA, you think of profit at any cost possible. Now the FBI is looking into possible violations at one of CCA’s prison facilities in Idaho.

The FBI is investigating what Idaho inmates called ‘Gladiator School’ because of the violence that was erupting at the facility due to workers being understaffed.

“The Nashville, Tenn.-based CCA has operated Idaho’s largest prison for more than a decade, but last year, CCA officials acknowledged it had understaffed the Idaho Correctional Center by thousands of hours in violation of the state contract. CCA also said employees falsified reports to cover up the vacancies. The announcement came after an Associated Press investigation showed CCA sometimes listed guards as working 48 hours straight to meet minimum staffing requirements.”

When the Idaho State Police was asked to investigate the prison violations, they delayed their work until political pressure mounted. Democratic state lawmakers have asked the FBI to intervene.

Reports show that the Idaho Department of Corrections understaffed the prison by as much as 26,000 hours. Of course, a representative from CCA has denied the report. CCA has a contract with Idaho for $29 million a year and has paid out $1 million to settle understaffing claims.

Here’s the shocking news. Reports of violence were document since 2011 and Republican Governor Butch Otter and his administration did their best to sweep it under the carpet. However, due to pressure, his administration launched a state investigation into CCA.

“U.S. District Judge David Carter made the ruling against the Nashville, Tenn.-based Corrections Corporation of America in a scathing 24-page ruling issued on Monday. In it, Carter took the company to task for lying about staffing levels and warned that he would make the fines as big as needed to force CCA’s compliance with a settlement agreement it reached two years ago with Idaho inmates and the American Civil Liberties Union.”

If you look at the prison system throughout the United States, especially those ran by CCA, I’m sure you’ll find other similar stories. Profits, not people seem to fit CCA.

Source: Dailykos

Dr. Sinclair Grey III is a speaker, activist, published author of (5) books, life coach, and liberator of persons from all intellectual, social and cultural walks of life. He is a committed advocate for change. Email: drgrey@sinclairgrey.org. Follow on Twitter @drsinclairgrey. Visit his website: www.sinclairgrey.org